as in to accumulate
to increase in amount as time passes
They accrued vacation time throughout the calendar year. A penny-pincher who is accruing a fortune by spending next to nothing.
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of accrue
Interest began accruing on SAVE enrollees' debts in August.
—
Annie Nova, CNBC, 24 Mar. 2026
Bridgerton has been an immensely successful franchise for the streaming giant, having accrued hundreds of millions of views over the course of its four-season run so far.
—Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 24 Mar. 2026
The overtime hours accrued in 2025 are nearly half of what was accrued when police responded to major protests in 2020 and 2021 following the death of George Floyd.
—Jaclyn Diaz, NPR, 24 Mar. 2026
The 1970s plus the Ukraine War Birol elaborated on the numbers behind his assertion, saying the losses already accrued are far worse than those from the 1970 oil crises and the Ukraine war.
—Jake Angelo, Fortune, 23 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for accrue
Annie Nova, CNBC, 24 Mar. 2026
Bridgerton has been an immensely successful franchise for the streaming giant, having accrued hundreds of millions of views over the course of its four-season run so far.
—Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 24 Mar. 2026
The overtime hours accrued in 2025 are nearly half of what was accrued when police responded to major protests in 2020 and 2021 following the death of George Floyd.
—Jaclyn Diaz, NPR, 24 Mar. 2026
The 1970s plus the Ukraine War Birol elaborated on the numbers behind his assertion, saying the losses already accrued are far worse than those from the 1970 oil crises and the Ukraine war.
—Jake Angelo, Fortune, 23 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for accrue
Recent Examples of Synonyms for accrue
Verb
-
Videos of the pack making their way along the highway accumulated over 230 million views online, striking a chord with viewers moved by the animals’ loyalty to one another and determination to return to their families.—
Hanna Wickes,
Miami Herald,
23 Mar. 2026
-
The rain accumulated on soil already saturated by downpours from a winter storm a week ago.—
Jessica Hill,
Los Angeles Times,
23 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
From Roku to traditional cable services, like Spectrum and Comcast, everyone is trying to navigate the angst felt from every corner of sports fandom, while still trying to maximize their own profit margins.—
Andrew Marchand,
New York Times,
25 Mar. 2026
-
To maximize the benefits of GLP-1s and reduce potential side effects like nausea, vomiting, constipation and muscle loss, Dushay and other experts offer specific advice.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
23 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Each year, Heal the Bay collects trash from beaches and watersheds across Los Angeles County with the help of thousands of volunteers.—
CBS LA Staff,
CBS News,
28 Mar. 2026
-
Data broker websites collect and sell information pulled from public records, marketing databases and online activity.—
Roxanne Downer,
USA Today,
28 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Accrue.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/accrue. Accessed 30 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
